Hand Covers Bruise
by oxytocin
Summary: Drabbles for The Social Network. Mark/Eduardo, updated spontaneously!
1. Hand Covers Bruise

Every night Mark's hand hovers over his cell phone, and there's this one, specific number in his mind.

Every time, Mark pulls his hand back, because he assumes the number's been changed.

When he sits at his computer with code flashing before his eyes, he likes to imagine there's a story behind each sequence. Each number or letter adds up to what's going to be a piece of someone's life on Facebook.

He likes to imagine what he's created means more to people than it probably does.

Mark wonders what Eduardo's doing right now.

The Cambridge air bites at Mark's nose as he sits on a bench, actually not that far from where his old dorm used to be. He wears a hat so no one will recognize him. His subconscious makes fun of him, because it's not like anyone would recognize him anyways.

Mark sees Eduardo coming from up over the hill.

He blinks a few times to make sure he's not seeing things. Embarrassingly enough, he might be.

Waving would be inappropriate. In fact, almost any kind of greeting would. Fleetingly, Mark hopes the hat will protect him from Eduardo.

He's always been a little bit of a child, and he closes his eyes. Seconds pass and Mark assumes that Eduardo's gone.

And, when he opens his eyes, the other man is. Mark sighs.

"You do know you wearing the hat I got you our first year at Harvard, right?"

"I am aware." Mark says, trying to recover from how jumpy he suddenly feels. He looks over and sees Eduardo grinning at him.

Eduardo…grinning at him. Mark had thought he'd never see it again, because it had seemed like the times where Eduardo was laughing with him were a million years in the past. It's such an unexpected, undeserved turn of events that Mark is honestly struck speechless.

"Do you want to get a pizza or something?" Mark asks suddenly. He desperately needs to rebuild this burnt bridge.

The hesitation in Eduardo's eyes shuts Mark down immediately. "I mean…never mind, totally unwanted, right? Yeah, I get it, I-"

"No," Eduardo says. "I wouldn't mind. I can even pay." His eyes laugh. "I've recently come into a lot of money, you see."

It really could be possible they could just crack a few jokes and move on. Most people couldn't, but for Mark and Eduardo…it's different. They just needed to get out the "yeah, you were a real bastard back then" and "I told you so". And maybe…maybe the could start over, or rather, pick up where they left off.

Mark stand, and so does Eduardo. They walk, both knowing exactly where they're going without having to say anything.

"So how's Facebook these days?" Eduardo asks casually.

"Shouldn't you know?" Mark replies. "After all, you are the co-founder."

Eduardo laughs, and Mark hears an edge of vulnerability. He bumps his shoulder into his friend's, saying, "Wardo, I'm…"

He hesitates. Sorry is just grossly inadequate.

"It's good to see you. Really good." He settles on.

Eduardo sighs, but his mouth crooks into a smile.

"Yeah…you too."

* * *

I don't even know if this fandom is allowed. :/ I couldn't find a catergory for it, so if it isn't...someone let me know. haha

Anyways, I know I have like a handful of other things I really should be working on, but I'm more than slightly obsessed with this movie/ship (and subsequently Andrew/Jesse, omg the glorious Jewnicorn fandom).

If you were like me before I saw this movie and thought "...it's a movie about Facebook...", let me assure you. It's _not_ a movie about Facebook. It's amazing.


	2. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking

Mark thinks there's something he's missed.

Which is ridiculous, because he never misses anything. But that's the feeling nagging at the back of his mind right now.

Eduardo won't look him in the eye when he asks, "Is there something I've missed?"

Eduardo's feet dangle off the edge of the couch in Mark's dorm. A bottle of beer dangles from his fingers, hanging just above the floor.

"Wardo, if you don't tell me what's up, I'm going to like-"

'What?" Eduardo cuts him off. "You're going to what? Slap me? Take away my beer? Sit on my feet?"

"All three are possibilities." Mark replies, and when Eduardo is silent, he sits on his legs.

"Aah!" Eduardo hastily kicks Mark away, and Mark tumbles to the floor. "Jesus Christ, why are you so bony?"

Mark settles for learning against the couch, his head resting against Eduardo's knees. He pushes the coffee table out of the way with his foot as Eduardo says, "Are you mad at me?"

"Eduardo, I could never be mad at you." Mark says, sincerely. He pauses for a beat and adds, "I missed something." It's statement this time.

It's Eduardo's turn to pause. "Are you mad at me for getting punched by the Phoenix?" he finally asks quietly.

"I already told you I was happy for you." responds Mark.

"Yes, but that doesn't really answer my question." Eduardo says shortly.

"No," says Mark with his eyes closed. "I'm not mad at you for getting punched by the Phoenix."

He has to say this quickly and with certainty, or else Eduardo won't believe him. Mark is facing away from Eduardo, so he can't see his face, but he hears him sink back into the couch and picture's an expression of relief on his friend's face.

Mark isn't lying. But he's not telling the truth.

Eduardo is the only one Mark makes these concessions for.


	3. Pieces Form the Whole

One day Mark Zuckerberg looks at the calendar and realises that in three day, it'll have been two years since he and Eduardo last saw each other in that stifling deposition room.

After that, every hour, ever minute that ticks by makes Mark painfully aware of how fast time actually slips by. The only feeling Mark has right now that's stronger than his want for time to stop, is for time to rewind.

The next day, Mark thinks he hears Eduardo's voice on his answering machine as he clicks through the messages. He quickly goes back, heart pounding, but the message from Eduardo isn't there.

Mark numbly deletes the rest of the messages without listening to them.

The second day, with only one day left, Mark finds one of his old notebooks from his early days at Harvard. In it are tons of scribbles from when he and Eduardo stayed up late talking and drinking, or just drinking.

Mark can't stop himself from glancing through the pages, looking at his own nonsensical ramblings and Eduardo's rather awful stick figures.

He wants to laugh, but instead he just ends up smiling wistfully.

Right as he's about to put the notebook back, Mark notices a piece of paper slid out from the last few pages. He opens it and reads "Mark," in shaky handwriting. Eduardo's handwriting.

He shoves the note back into the notebook and throws it all under his bed.

Finally, on the day that makes it two years since he last saw Eduardo, Mark finds Eduardo's current phone number. It's surprisingly easy to track him down.

He's already scribbled out what he's going to say on several sticky notes that surround him on the floor of his apartment, things like, _"So, hey, how's it-"_, _"Yeah, I guess we haven't spoken in a while, but-"_, _"Wardo, I need yo-"_.

Mark dials, and his stomach flip flops as the line rings.

It goes to voice mail.

_"Hey, you have reached Eduardo Saverin, I-"_

Mark hangs up.

* * *

Okay, first things first (and I realise this author's note is going to totally ruin the tone of my drabble lol).

Ohmygod, people actually reviewed this and stuff! I will admit, I was really hesitant about submitting this here for a multitude of reasons, but mainly because I thought no one was going to see this. haha A) It's in the Misc. section which I never read, but that's just because I live in the Star Trek section of , and B) I didn't think anyone actually liked this movie ajsd;flksdk

So yeah, I'm going to take this moment to be really self centered and tell everyone that I really freaking love this movie, I'm so obsessed it's not even funny. I ran around my school today using different printers to print off the script (because I didn't want to get caught printing off a 160 page .pdf) and I've already got the opening scene memorised. Yeah. So that people are like "Yeah! I love this movie too!" just like, makes me ecstatic.

Also, I am now a very loyal follower of the Jewnicorn fandom (my phone background is Jesse's face and every time I open it I see him and let out a sigh, no regrets), and I made this fanmix (comes with drabbles!), if anyone wants to check it out~ I'm putting it up on my profile because how the crap do you do html within stories here...

Seriously, you guys, I love you. So much.


	4. Letters

Two Letters to Mark Zuckerberg from Eduardo Saverin and Three Letters to Eduardo Saverin from Mark Zuckerberg (none ever sent)

_I can't drink Beck anymore without thinking of you. Actually, there's so many things that continue to remind me of you. The way my head hurts sometimes…it's like we got a divorce. Maybe in a way we did. It's just there aren't a lot of things I'm sure of right now. And now that the storm has cleared, I also realize there's a lot of things I miss. I wish I could bring myself to hate you, it would make this so much easier.  
-_ Eduardo to Mark, scribbled on the last page of a notebook during a meeting

**I walked past the pub we used to sneak into when we were freshmen. I thought of you. I thought of the moments when we'd laugh together…ok, maybe you were doing most of the laughing, but I just remember how bright your face was. Other than those times, I can't remember the last time I saw you laugh. I can't even remember the last time I saw you smile.**  
- Mark to Eduardo, typed up as an email to Eduardo, then deleted

_How did things end up this way? How did you honestly think things were going to end up? How did I end up writing you a letter at two in the morning, a letter I probably won't ever send, because I  
can't sleep without your face appearing in my dreams?I wish it was simple enough that I could just blame you for absolutely everything, and although I do blame you for most of it, I know it's true that it wasn't just you, or just me, or anybody. I was able to cut you out of my life, but not out of my mind. I want to just blame you and only you, the genius Mark Zuckerberg, but some part of me will never stop blaming myself as well.  
_- Eduardo to Mark, written on a spare scrap of paper in Eduardo's desk

**I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I've never apoligised to anyone, much less a piece of paper, but I am. It might be because I am definitely intoxicated right now, and we both know what happens when I get like this. But shit, Wardo…I really wish I could take it all back. I wish I could just have the courage to talk to you. But even when I'm drunk I still feel the panic in my chest when I think about facing you. I guess what they say about me is true. I'm just a coward.**  
- Mark to Eduardo, written on five notecards Mark found in his bag

**I saw you today. I fucking saw you. How it's possible, what with the millions of people there are in New York City…but I know it was you. You looked so good, Eduardo, you actually looked really happy. In some screwed up way that made me happy too. It's just, you looked so…**  
**I couldn't breathe when I saw it was you. I know you didn't see me. You were laughing.**  
**You were laughing.  
**- Mark to Eduardo, scribbled on his cafe receipt then thrown away


	5. It's Raining

"Hey…hey, Mark."

Mark groans and covers his face with his blankets. He tries to say "who are you and why are you waking me up at this ungodly hours" but what really comes out is just a muffled grumble into his pillow.

"Mark! Wake up!"

It's Eduardo, Mark doesn't even have to look. He want to kick him but he groggily sits up in bed, blinking wearily at his friend.

"Wardo…" Mark says slowly as everything comes into focus around him. He looks at Eduardo. "You're wet." Mark finally says.

"Yeah." Eduardo responds. "It's raining outside."

Marks listens and hears the raindrops pattering on his dorm window. "So it is." He says dryly. "Why did you wake me up to tell me this?"

Eduardo hesitates and Mark sees that he's genuinely uncertain of something. Mark opens his mouth but Eduardo cuts him off, saying, "There's something I want you to see."

Mark pauses, wondering what Eduardo could possibly want to show him at…(Mark glances over at his clock) four in the morning.

He stares at Eduardo and Eduardo's face is slowly falling, so Mark swings his feet off his bed, wincing at how cold the floor is, and stands, stretching his arms out. "What is it you wanted to show me?"

Eduardo brightens and Mark notices that Eduardo's face does funny things to his stomach.

"Grab a jacket." Eduardo says and then adds, "Also, do you have an umbrella?"

Once they're outside, huddled underneath Mark's umbrella, Eduardo leads them away from the dorm, across the Quad, and over to a bridge. They're silent, Mark wishing he had grabbed a thicker jacket and also wondering what on Earth he's doing outside at four in the morning in the rain.

They walk halfway across the bridge until Eduardo stops. They walk to the edge of the bridge and Mark is about to ask what the hell he's supposed to be looking at when Eduardo lifts up the edge of the umbrella to reveal the view over the river.

Mark's breath literally escapes him when he sees how the rain hangs over Cambridge, along with a heavy fog that wraps the buildings in mystery. The river rolls beneath them, twisting and winding and the rain creates patterns of dark splashes across the surface. The tree leaves and flowers glisten and sparkle, glossy from the rain, and Mark shivers as he takes everything in.

Eduardo moves closer and says, "Beautiful, right?"

Mark is suddenly hit with the knowledge that Eduardo wanted to share this moment with him, of all people. With Mark.

It shouldn't surprise him as much as it does, or create a strong warmth that unfolds in his chest. He looks over at Eduardo and sees that Eduardo's looking right at him, almost through him, and Mark's breath is stolen again.

He's silent and his cheeks are hot, and everything sounds really loud in his ears. Eduardo's still watching him carefully, so Mark manages a meek "thank you…" and presses his arm into Eduardo's.

The rain patters on the umbrella as they look out across the river, leaning on each other.

* * *

Take a look at my profile if you're interested in seeing what I'm going to be up to for the next few months! Thanks for reading, as always~


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